Bruce Kessler is an American racing driver and film and television director
Background
Kessler born in Seattle, Washington and grew up in Beverly Hills, California. He was the son of a clothing designer. In the early 1950s he started racing his mother"s Jaguar XK120 in the Sports Carolina Club of America races at sixteen years old.
Career
He entered one World Championship Formula One Grand Prix (Monaco 1958) with a Connaught owned by Bernie Ecclestone, but failed to qualify, although he posted the 21st fastest time of the 28 entrants. He raced the road race courses at Paramount Ranch and Willow Springs in California. Kessler and Reventlow, driving Reventlow"s Mercedes-Benz SL aluminum coupe had stopped at Blackwells Corner on California Rt.
466/133 on September 30, 1955 on their way to the Salinas Road Races when James Dean and his mechanic, Rolf Wutherich pulled in with Dean"s Porsche Spyder.
They all agreed to meet for dinner at Paso Robles, about 60 miles away that evening. Reventlow and Kessler took off 10 minutes earlier.
Dean never made it as he was involved in a fatal two-car crash at Rt. 466/41 near Cholame 30 miles away.
Kessler, today, remains the last person alive who spoke with James Dean before his death.
Kessler was invited to Europe to drive at Le Mans. After a serious crash at the 1959 Examiner Grand Prix at Pomona, California, he spent days in a coma. Soon after, he retired from racing.
Kessler came back to California and became a film and television director
He directed many television films and series. As a film and television director, some his credits include Angels from Hell, The Monkees, The Flying Nun, Mission: Impossible, lieutenant Takes a Thief, Marcus Welby, Doctor of Medicine, The Rockford Files, McCloud, CHiPs, The Greatest American Hero, The A-Team, Hunter and Renegade, his last directing cartulary-register
Kessler was also a world class skeet and trap shooter. He is now retired in Marina Delegate Rey, California.